Coming up tomorrow--Tuesday, Dec. 15--at 10 am Pacific/1 pm Eastern, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention is holding a "Grand Rounds" webcast on "Strengthening a Culture of Laboratory Safety":
In this session of Public Health Grand Rounds, our panel will discuss how standards of laboratory safety have improved over the years, what we've learned from past incidents, and how establishing safety protocols and training systems can lead to an overall culture of workplace safety, resulting in continued public trust in our science and recommendations.
Topics and speakers will be:
- "Evolution of Laboratory Safety Standards," Stephan Monroe, associate director for laboratory science and safety, CDC
- "Quality, Safety and Public Health Impact of Lab Science: A Case Study," Conrad P. Quinn, chief of the Meningitis & Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, National Center for Immunization & Respiratory Disease, CDC
- "Establishing a Culture of Safety in an Academic Research Institution: Teaching Safety to Scientists," Joseph Kanabrocki, associate vice president for research safety and professor of microbiology, University of Chicago
CDC itself has been in the news frequently in the last two years for safety lapses regarding pathogen handling, and last week it replaced its director of its Division of Select Agents and Toxins.
